Cities of London & Westminster MP Nickie Aiken asked the following Oral Question in the House during Treasury Questions earlier today.
"The Eat Out to Help Out scheme has been a phenomenal success in my constituency of the Cities of London and Westminster. More than 890,000 meals have been discounted—several eaten by myself, I hasten to add. Will my right hon. Friend comment on the amazing package of help that the Government have given to the retail and hospitality sectors? Moving forward, what policies can we hope to expect to support these vital sectors, which are responsible for hundreds of thousands of jobs in my constituency?"
In response to her question Stephen Barclay MP, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury said,
"My hon. Friend is right to recognise the effectiveness of that scheme in supporting demand. It was dismissed as a gimmick when my right hon. Friend the Chancellor launched it, but it has been warmly received by the hospitality industry. As she knows from her constituency and that of others, it is part of that wider package of support, including the cutting of the rate of VAT, which again has been a huge boost to that industry."
You can watch Nickie and Stephen’s exchange above and find out more about Nickie Aiken MP at www.nickieaiken.org.uk
